Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
9 3
The present invention generally relates to bunk beds. The
present invention also relates to an improved design for a very
sturdy but yet simple to assemble bunk bed of normal size, or of
double size, of queen size, of king size, or of any combination of
sizes.
In one particular embodiment, it relates to an improved bunk
bed ladder which is supported from the bunk bed assembly in an
economical and safe manner. In another particular embodiment, it
relates to novel brackets for such bunk bed. In yet another par-
ticular embodiment, it relates to a novel construction for support-
ing the mattresses of such bunk bed.
Bunk bed ladders are now supported from the bed rail of the
upper bed of a bunk bed assembly by hooks which merely hook over
the upper Pdge of the upper bed rail. In some instances, each hook
iq provided with an inwardly offset lower end portion which tends
to retain the hook aligned with the bed frame rail even though the
ladder may be lifted upwardly. However, there have been many acci-
dents caused by bunk bed ladders being inadvertently lifted off the
bed rail or by bunk bed ladders shifting along the bed rail while a
child is climbing onto the upper bunk.
Another problem which has e~isted is that when a ladder is
su~pended solely from the top edge of the bed rail of the upper
bunk bed by ~sing conventional hooks and a per on climbs up or down
the ladderr the weight and pull of the person climbing the ladder
introduceæ a tremendous strain on the bed rail, the ladder and the
legs or posts of the bunk bed. This, while presently available
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hooks are relatively simple and inexpensive, they introduce the
possibility of inju~y and a feeling of insecurity due to the
looseness of the connection between the ladder and bunk bed.
In United States Patent Number 4,193,146, patented March 18,
1980, by H. Friedman et al, a bracket was provided for mounting a
bunk bed ladder from the bed rail of an upper bunk bed. The
bracket engaged both the top and inner bottom edges of the bed
rail, which was said to prevent the bunk bed ladder from being
accidentally lifted off and disengaged from the bed rail, and to
prevent the ladder from shifting along the b~d rail, and to reduce
twisting of the rail and strain on the po~t or leg of the bunk
bed~ thereby reducing ailure of bed rail~, bed posts, and the
ladders, and to prevent the ladder from tilting outward while
climbing. The bracket mean lncluded a separate bracket structure
mounted on each side of the ladder~ The bracket means which
engaged the upper edge of the bed rail included a terminal end of
a bracket strap which overlay the top edge and engaged the inner
~urface of a vertical flange of a right angled bed rail. The
bracket which engaged the bottom edge of the bed rail included a
strap having a hook-shaped end, which ~ngaged the inner edge of
the horizontal flange of the bed rail and an opposite end con-
nected with the ~ide of the ladder to prevent vertical movement
between the ladder and rail and to prevent relative twisting
between the ladder and rail. The strap which engaged with the
vertical 1~nge of the rail extended to a point below the rail,
with the strap which engaged the lower flange of the rail being
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secured to the lower portion of the vertical strap. The vertical
strap included two offset portions which were disposed at dif-
ferent ver-tical levels for engaging the bottom flange of two dif-
ferent size bed rails. The offset portions had astener receiv-
ing means thereon at two laterally-spaced positions to enable the
horizontal strap to engage with two different si~e bed rails.
The art also attempted to provide improvements in rail sup-
ports or corner brackets for bedsteads.
In Canadian Paten Number 168,972, patented April 18, 1916,
by C.F. Streit, a corner bracket formed from a single sheet metal
blank was provid~d for bed~teads. The corner bracket included a
supporting flange, side walls extending therefrom, a rail-sup-
porting table plate extending horizontally from one side wall and
forming therewith a right angled side rail support, a vertical
extension connected to the opposite side wall and a horizontal
reenforcing shelf connected to the opposite side wall exten~ion
and extending beneath the free end of the table plate, the
extension and the free end of the table plate forming a right-
angled cross rail support.
Canadian Patent Number 188,269, patented January 14, 1919, byJ. Silverstein, provided means for rigidly securing superimposed
~tructures together. The patentee provided superimposable beds,
the legs o which were either being provided at each end with an
opposite part of complementary locking means or being provided at
; their lower ends with one complementary part of locking mean~ and
at their upper end~ with the other complementary part of locking
:
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means, whereby one bed could be positioned over the other through
registration of the complementary parts of the locking means.
Bars or posts, advantageously of angle-iron construction were
arranged to be securely locked together through the provision of
locking means on one complemen-tary part and lock-engaging means
on the other complementary part. The locking means and the lock-
engaging means advantageously included, when the posts were of
angle-iron construction, a slot in one face or side of one angle-
iron and a projecting lug on one face of another angle-iron, the
lug being adapted to register with the slot and the faces of the
angle-irons being arranged to fit flush against each other.
Rests or supports were provided on the interior faces o the
angle-irons to assist in aligning the parts and rigidly holding
them in aligned positione
United State~ Patent Number 852,726, patented May 7, 1907,
by H.T. Fisher, provided a cast metal corner lock for bedsteads,
having wings at right angles and a middle transversely- rounded
portion for the bed post uniting the wing~, and a ~ace plate
covering the lock conforming to the entire surface and edges
thereof and having upward and downward projections at its middle
se~mental in cros~-section and projecting beyond the edges of the
lock, to provide a finished facing for the outer side of the
lock.
United States Patent Number 1,155,833, patented October 12,
1915, by A.M. Bonhard, provided a device for securing the side
rails of a bed to the end members of the bed and at the same time
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provided means for supporting a mattress on the bed. The paten-
tee provided the combination of an end-plate adapted to he mount-
ed on the side post of the end of a bed, and a rail-pla-te adapted
to be secured at one end of a side rail of a bed on the inner
face of the end plate. The end-plate was provided with a series
of openings to receive screws for securing the end-plate to the
post and also with a plurality of screw-threaded openings and
which had a recess in one end thereof. The rail-plate had a
series of openings through which screws could be passed for
securing the rail-plate to the rail, the rail-plate being provid-
ed at its upper end with a horizontally-arranged flange and along
one edge with a vertica~ly-arranged flange. The vertically-arr-
anged flange was provided on it~ outer surface with a lug adapted
to enter the rece~s in the end-plate. It also had a series of
openings which regiYterea with the screw-threaded openings in the
end-plate. Screws passed through the openings in the flange and
into the ~crew-threaded openings in the end-plate.
United States Pat nt Number 4,674,141, patented June 23,
1987, by M. Hyatt, provided brackets for connecting head and
footboards to bed side rails. While beds historically have been
constructed in varied sturdy configurations, there wax a tendency
.
for the connections between headboards and footboards with the
associated side rails to loosen, particularly when the beds
continued to be used over a long period of time. The bed user's
tos~ing ana turning had a tendency to loosen the connections
between these components, even though, in many instances several
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bolts or other latching devices were used to strengthen them.
The patented bracket was for attaching a side rail to a headboard
and a footboard, the side rail having screw-receiving cavities.
The bracke-t included an L-shaped body porkion having a side sec-
tion and an end section, each of these sections having an inner
and outer surface. Means releasably secured the inner surface of
the side section to the side rail. Threaded means within said
body portion end section cooperatively aligned with the side rail
cavitie~. Screw means extended through at least the headboard
.
and threadably engaged the end section threaded means to hold at
least the headboard securely against the body portion end section
inner surface and the side section inner surface.
An object of a broad aspect of thi~ invention is to provide
lS a novel construction of a bunk bed of various sizes or combina-
tion of sizes which is ~imple to manufacture and has a sturdy,
long and reliable life.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bunk
bed including a ladder, and the ladder itself which, when secured
to the bed rails of the bunk bed will not be able to be acciden-
tally lifted off the bed rail and which iq kept from shifting
longitudinally along the bed rail.
An object of another aspect of this invention i~ to provide
a bracket for such bunk bed ladder, such bracket serving to
prevent twisting or torquing of the bed rail by forces exerted
thereon when climbing the ladder, which also reduces the ~train
on the leg or po~t of the bed which results from forces exerted
:~ 3 ~ 3
by the ladder to the rail and reduces twisting of the rail which
further results in lesæ failure of the rails and bed legs or
posts.
S An object of a further aspect of this invention i~ to
provide a bracket structure for mounting a ladder on a bunk bed
assembly, which bracket serves to prevent the ladder rom tilting
outward when climbing and which reduces ladder failure due to
forces exerted thereon when climbing the ladder.
An object of yet another aspect of this invention is to
provide a corner bracket for a bunk bed, the corner bracket
serving to unite transverse frames, longitudinal frames and
upright legs of the bunk bed together.
An object o~ a further aspect o this invention i9 to
provide a device for ~ecuring the side rails of a hed to the end
members of the bed and at the same time to provide means for sup-
porting a mattress on the bed, the support being very 3trong, and
being easily applied.
An object of still another aspect of the present invention
is to provide an improved bracket for connecting headboards and
footboards~to side rails that may be manufactured at a reasonable
coæt and utili2ed to provide a bed that will have a sturdy, long
and reliab~e life.
By one broad aspect o~ thiæ invention, an improve~ent is
provided in a bunk bed including a head board having a pair o
spaced-apart legs and upper and lower transverse frame~, a tail
board having a pair of spaced-apart legs and upper and lower
~ ~15493
transverse frames and connecting members comprising a pair of
transversely spaced-apart upper and lower lonqitudinally-
extending frames comprised of outer frame and inner frame pieces,
the improvement comprising: an assembly bracket adapted to
interconnect the legs to the transverse frames and to the
longitudinally-extending frames, the bracket comprising: an
apertured side plate adapted to be connected to a longitudinally-
extending frame; an apertured face plate securely-connected
thereto and adapted to be connected to a leg; and a
perpendicularly-extending ledge extending along the length of the
side plate and also extending from a face of the face plate and
being securely-connected to an intermediate region of the side
plate and also to an intermediate region of the face plate, the
ledge being adapted to support a portion of a longitudinally-
extending frame.
q'here may be eight similar such assembly brackets, eachbracket having its side plate secured to a corresponding
longitudinal frame, having its face plate secured to a
corresponding longitudinally-extending outer frame, and having
its face plate secured to a corresponding vertical leg and inner
transverse frame member. The bunk bed may further include a
plurality of longitudinally-extending frame pieces resting on an
associated perpendicularly-extending ledge of the bracket, and
a plurality of transverse joists extending across associated
pairs of spaced-apart, perpendicularly-extending ledges of the
bracket. Such longitudinally-extending frame pieces may each be
provided as a plurality of sub-pieces, with a pair of vertical
slots associated with the mid-frame piece or the mid~frame pieces
a
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between the end pieces. Such bunk bed may also include a
plurality of intermediate, transversel~--extending frame mem~ers
extending between the outer frames and connected, at their ends,
to joists located between outer the sub-pieces and mid the sub
pieces. Furthermore, such bunk bed may include a transverse
frame member or members fixedly-securing corresponding
longitudinal frames. Furthermore, such bunk bed may include a
plurality of sub-platforms constituting a mattress-support.
In another broad embodiment of this invention, improvements
are provided including a head board having a pair of spaced-apart
legs and upper and lower transverse frames, a tail board having
a pair of spaced-apart legs and upper and lower transverse frames
and connecting members comprising a pair of transversely spaced-
apart upper and lower longitudinally-extending frames, comprised
of outer frames and inner frame pieces, and also including a bunk
bed ladder, and including an assembly bracket adapted to
interconnect the legs to the transverse frames and the
longitudinally-extending frames, the bracket comprising: an
apertured side plate, an apertured face plate integrally-
connected thereto, and a perpendicularly-extending ledge
extending along the length of the side plate and extending from
a face of the face plate and being securely-connected to an
- intermediate region of the side plate and to an intermediate
region of the face plate, such improvement comprising being
constituted by a bunk bed ladder comprising: a pair of spaced-
apart upright stiles with a plurality of vertically-spaced-apart
steps or rungs therebetween; an upper longitudinally-extending
protective rail secured to the inner face of each of the stiles;
,~''.~, .
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a lower longitudinally-extending protective rail secured to the
inner face of each of the stiles; and a pair of vertically-
spaced-apart brackets secured to the inner ~aces o~ each of the
stiles, the brackets each including an upper portion contacting
and fixedly-secured to an associ2ted stile, and a lower portion
spaced from its associated stile and adapted to be firmly-secured
to a longitudinal outer frame member of the bunk bed.
In such bunk bed, the lower longitudina:L frame member may
include a plurality of longitudinally-extending frame pieces
resting on an associated perpendicularly-extending led~e, and a
plurality of transverse joists extending ~cross associated pairs
of spaced-apart, perpendicularly-extending ledges, the
longitudinally-extending frame pieces each being provided as a
plurality, e.g. three sub-pieces, with a pair of vertical slots
in the mid-frame piece or pieces between the end pieces, the
lower portions of each bracket o~ the ladder being adapted to
mate within an associated slot. In yet another such bunk bed,
the lower portion of the assembly bracket is adapted to be firmly
secured to one side, e.g. the left hand side portion of the bunk
bed, with the protective rail extending on both sides of the pair
of stiles to stop a substantial distance from the headboard and
the tailboard.
In still another such bunk bed, each of the longitudinally
extending, upper protective rails and longitudinally-extending,
lower protective rails is secured by an associated bolt or wood
screw to an associated stile. Furthermore, in such bunk bed,
each stile is provided with a striker plate associated with each
said bracket. In yet ano~her such bunk bed, each of the
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11
longitudinally-extending, upper protective rails and each of
lGngitudinally-extending, lower protective rails is secured by
an associated bolt or wood screw to an associated stile; and each
stile is provided with a striker plate associated with each
bracket.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bunk bed of one
embodiment of the present invention, also showing the ladder of
another embodiment of this invention;
Figure 2 is a partial transverse section view through an
upper or a lower bunk of the bunk bed of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of a mattress support framework
for an upper or a lower bunk of the bunk bed of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bracket of an embodi-
ment of the invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lower corner of theheadboard of the bunk bed of one embodiment of the present
invention, showing the bracket of another embodiment of the
present invention, it being realized that there are seven other
similar corner constructions;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower platform of the
bunk bed of one embodiment of the present invention, showing the
lower ladder bracket of the ladder of another embodiment of this
invention, and the platform frame of the bunk bed of one
embodiment of this invention.
Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the ladder of the
embodiment of the invention shown in Figure l;
:,,
. . ~
~ 3 ~ 3
Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the ladder of the
embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 9 is a top plan view showing a further modification
of the lower bunk to be used as a waterbed.
As seen in Figures 1 r 2 and 3, the bunk bed 10 of one
embodiment of this invention includes a head board 11 and a tail
board 12. An upper bunk 13 is defined by upper transverse head
and tail frames 14 and upper longitudinal frames 15. A lower
bunk 16 is defined by lower transverse head and tail frames 17
and lower longitudinal frames 18. The head board i5 provided
with upper and lower decorative head board cross pieces 19 and
with upper and lower tail board cross pieces 20. The head board
11 and the tail board 12 are assembled to legs 22, 23, 24 and 25
by means of a corner bracket to be described later with respect
to Figures 4 and 5.
Figure 3 shows the mattress-support framework of the upper
bunk 13 (it being understood that the lower bunk 16 is of similar
construction). Leg 23 (for example) is secured to transverse
frame member 26 and to longitudinal frame 15 by means of the
' 20 corner bracket to be described later with respect to Figures 4
and 5. Legs 22, 24 and 25 are similarly secured both to
respective transverse frame members 26 or 27 and to respective
- longitudinal frame ~5 by means of a corner bracket to be
described later with respect to Figures 4 and 5.
As noted above, legs 22, 23, 24 and 25 are secured to
longitudinal frame 15 by means of an associated corner bracket
to be described later with respect to Figures 4 and 5.
Similarly, legs 22, 23, 24 and 25 are secured to transverse frame
,,'i
,:'
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13
14 by means of an associated corner bracket to be described later
with respect to Figures 4 and 5.
Longitudinal frame 15 is comprised of an outer frame portion
having a generally rectangular cross section, and an inner frame
section comprised of longitudinal frame sub-pieces 28 and 29, as
best seen in Fig. 6.
Figure 3 also shows that leg 22 is to be interconnected to
leg 23 (not seen) by decorative transverse cross-piece 19.
Similarly, (although not shown) legs 25 and 24 are to be
interconnected by decorative transverse cross-piece 20.
An inner mattress framework is provided by means of a
plurality of end longitudinal frame sub-pieces 28, and one or
more mid, longitudinal frame sub-pieces 29, which rest on the
bracket to be described later with respect to Figures 4 and 5.
It is noted that four end frame sub-pieces 28 are each adapted
to be urged into an associated mortise 30 at an associated end
of transverse head frame member 26, while the other four end
frame sub-pieces 28 are each adapted to be urged into an
associated mortise 31 at an associated end of transverse tail
frame member 27. Mid sub-pieces 29 are provided with two spaced-
apart, outwardly-facing slots 32 therein, whose purpose will be
described hereinafter. It is also possible to have an additional
mid-sub-piece (not shown) between mid-sub-piece 29 and end sub-
piece, with a slot therein (not shown) similar to slots 32, and
whose purpose will also be described hereinafter. In addition,
at the region of slots 32, inner longitudinal metal frame 48 is
secured to outer longitudinal wooden frame 15 by means of bolts
32a, whose additional purpose will be described hereinafter.
~ 3 ~ 3
14
Auxiliary transverse frame pieces 33 are each provided at each
~nd with a teno~ 34 which is adapted to be urged against the
associated end of central sub pieces 29.
/
/
' / :
/
9 3
li
Figure 4 shows one of the eight brackets 40, which are used
to assemble the bunk bed 10 of one embodiment of this invention.
Bracket 40 includes a face plate 41 provided with upper aperture
42 and lower aperture 43, and, a-t right angles thereto, side
plate 44, al o provided with upper aperture 45 and lower aperture
46. Se`curely-associated with face plate 41 and side plate 44 is
an inwardly-e~tending perpendicular ledge 47. An extension plate
48 is integrally-asso~iated with side plate 44, and ledge 47 is
al~o securely-associated with extension plate 48. Ledge 47, side
plate 44 and extension p ~ e 48 together provide an "L"-shaped
angle support.
Figure 5 shows the construction details of the bunk bed 10
of one embodiment of this invention by means of the assembly
bracket 40 of another embodiment of this invention. The bracket
40 is aY~embled to a leg, e.g., leg 22 by means of long upper
bolt 49 pas~ing through aligned apertures 50a in leg 22, 42 in
face plate 41, and 50b in transverse frame sub-piece 26, the bolt
49 being secured by nut 51. Short lower bolt 52 secures bracket
40 to leg 22 by pas~ing through aligned apertures S3a in leg 22
and 43 in face plate 41, the short lower bolt 52 being secured by
nut S3. Transverse frame 14 is secured to leg 22 by means Qf a
mortise joint. ~ongitudinal frame 15 is secured to side plate 44
by means of short lower bolt 57 which also passes through aligned
aperture 57a in longitudinal frame 15 and aligned aperture 46,
bolt 57 being secured by nut 58. Longitudinal frame 15 is also
secured to side plate 44 by means of ~hort upper bolt 54, which
~ 3 ~ 3
16
passes through aligned apertures 45 in side plate 44 and 55a in
longitudinal frame 15.
Bracket 40 also provides, by means of side wall extension
48, the inner longitudinal metal frame andr by means of ledge 47,
a support for the inner wooden sub-pieces 28, 29.
Figure 5 shows, in somewhat more detail, how longitudinal
frame su~-piece 28 rests with its lower face on ledge 47, with
its exterior side face abutting side plate 44, and also abutting
e~tension plate 48. Its end portion abut~ mortise 30 in trans
verse frame member 26. It also shows how transverse member 26
rests with its lower ~ace on the lateral end of ledge 47, with
its ~ide face abutting face plate 41, and with the mortise 30
against the end of longitudinal sub-piece 28.
Figure 5, as well as Figure 2, al~o show the mattress-
support 60 resting on transverse frame members 26 and 27 and on
longitudinal frame sub-pieces 28 and 29 as well as on internal
~ transverse frames 33.
: - As seen in Figure 6, 7 and 8, the bunk bed ladder 70 of a
second embodiment of this invention includes a pair of spaced-
apart vertical stiles 71 with a plurality of vertically-spaced-
apart steps or rungs 72 therebetween, as well as an upper long
itudinally-extending protective rail 73 and a lower longitudinal-
:
ly-extending protective rail 74.
The ladder 70 is provided with two pairs of upper and lower
ldentical brackets 75, each being in the form of bent metal bars
~ 3:15~3
17
76, including an upper portion 77 firmly secured to an associated
stile 71 e.g., Erom the rear by upper bolts or wood screws 78a
and 78b and a lower portion 79 spaced inwardly from the stile 71
and adapted to enter a ver-tical slot 32 previously described. If
the lower portion 79 enters the slots 32, the ladder is centrally
situated as shown in the drawing. If the lower portion 79 enters
an off-center slot (not shown) the ladder is situated on either
side of the centre. In such case, the protective rail is shorter
than as shown in the drawing to allow a seating arrangement at
one end of the bunk bed. Thus the ladder may be provided with
various lengths of protective rails. At approximately the level
of the lower end 80 of each bar 75 within the stile 71 is a
striker plate 81 secured to stile 71 by lower bolt or by a wood
lS screws 78c from the inside. Upper bolts 78d and 78e each secure
an associated longitudinally-extending protecti~e rail 73, 74 to
stile 71. As noted above, each lower bolt 78c secures an as-
sociated striker plate 81 to an associated stile 71, to meet
bolts 32a previously described.
2~ As also seen in Figure 6, the mattress support platform,
including the plywood and cross-pieces, 60 is formed of a plur-
ality of pieces of suitable support material 61a, e.g., plywood
or particle board; for example, the plywood is cut in sections
61a for assembly. The intermediate transverse pieces 33 are also
shown as supporting mattress-support platforms 61a.
In addition, as shown in Figure 9, the lower bunk 16 could
easily become a waterbed by adding a rectangular support 90
~3~L~493
adapted to rest on the floor, and also supporting central trans-
verse frame pieces 33 of the lower bunk 16, In addition, the
bunk bed could also become two beds by having bed legs formed in
two sections, held together by a few metal pins.
When assembled, the bunk bed 10, which may be of a single
bed size, double bed size, gueen-size bed size or king-size bed
size, is of rigid form. The mattresses ~which are not shown)
rest on the mattress support platforms 60. In addition, the
1~ lower bunk 16 may be a wider bunk than upper bunk 13. The lower
.
bunk 16 may be of either king, queen or double bed width with
the upper bunk 13 being of queen, double, or 3ingle bed width,
respectively.
; In addition, the bunk bed could also become two separate
beds, by having bed leg~ formed in two section3, each being held
together by a few metal pins, the assembly o~ each bed being by
mean~ of the novel assembly bracket of an a~pect of thiY inven-
tion.
Finally, the bunk bed may al~o be provided with lower pull-
out drawer~ tnot shown) in a manner ~imilar to a so-called
"captain's bed".
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